Incidence of Adverse Effects and Misuse of Zolpidem

Abstract

Study Objectives:

Zolpidem is a widely prescribed medication for treating insomnia due to its effectiveness as a sedative-hypnotic. This study aimed to estimate the incidence of potential adverse effects associated with the use and misuse of zolpidem.

Methods:

Retrospective cohort study. Participants were selected from consumers who had purchased zolpidem in a commercial pharmacy in Brazil and submitted an interviewed. Descriptive analysis was used to present the results. Pearson‘s chi-square tests were used to compare adverse reactions to zolpidem with categorical variables, and Student‘s t-tests were used to compare means. The significance level adopted was 5%.

Results:

The study involved 65 participants, with a mean age of 52.7 years, 76.9% of whom were women. Of the total sample, 69.2% used zolpidem for the treatment of long-term insomnia, and 77.4% used it continuously. Among the interviewees, 55.4% reported experiencing adverse reactions, with amnesia, insomnia, and sleepwalking being the most reported. A statistically significant association was found between the occurrence of adverse reactions and continuous use (P value = 0.048), as well as among those with lower mean age (P value = 0.042).

Conclusion:

Despite being a prescription-controlled medication, zolpidem was used excessively and inappropriately in the studied sample. Given the high prevalence of adverse effects identified in this study, the risk/benefit ratio of pharmacological treatments for insomnia warrants careful evaluation during prescription and dispensing. Incidence of adverse effects and misuse of zolpidem.